The 16th annual Emoti-Con NYC Youth Digital Media and Tech Challenge showcased 200+ innovative and impactful projects from 26 different Mouse Design League schools around New York City and Newark.

On May 30th, 2024, Mouse was joined by students and teachers from 12 Design League schools to participate in-person as Amazon warmly welcomed us to its new midtown office and collaboration space. Students started a powerful day with inspiring stories from mentors and then went on to present their projects, ending the day strong with dynamic career networking conversations. In addition to 30 mentors from Amazon, professionals from Dell, Bloomberg LP, Carnegie Mellon University, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Meta, Microsoft, AusomeTech, and Hospital for Special Surgery participated.

The virtual competition ran from May 13th to May 24th, with over 100 amazing career professionals from across the tech, design, and digital media industries. They evaluated each of the 215 Design League projects based on creative, technical, design, and social impact metrics to identify the winners and finalists. Thank you, judges, for your commitment and bringing your insight and expertise!

We were so impressed by the innovation, creativity, and human-centered elements demonstrated in ALL of this year’s projects - every single one deserves praise and recognition.

Students, did you know: You can share your Emoti-Con project page on your portfolio, resume, college applications, and etc? The links will stay active!

Congratulations to ALL students and educators for your hard work, and special congratulations to the 2024 winners and finalists! - We look forward to seeing more innovative designs again next year!

🏆 Awards 🏆

Overall Excellence

High School Winner: Community Connect from New Dorp High School (Staten Island, NY)
An app connecting volunteers with local non-profit organizations based on their skills and availability.

Middle School Winner: Conseils from J.H.S. 118 William W. Niles School (Bronx, NY)
An app providing immigrants with tips in their native languages to help them integrate and understand the local culture.

UX/UI Design

High School Winner: Inner Balance from Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology (Newark, NJ)
An app aimed at building and maintaining communities around various ecotherapy activities.

High School Finalist: Wizi from Thomas A. Edison CTE High School (Queens, NY)
A platform offering free education and skill training to undereducated individuals.

Middle School Winner: :) Match My Face from I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer Magnet School of Innovation and Applied Learning (Queens, NY)
An app providing tailored skincare advice and product recommendations based on users' unique skin conditions.

Middle School Finalist: PlantMania from Staten Island School of Civic Leadership (Staten Island, NY)
An app teaching users how to grow plants and flowers, highlighting the environmental benefits of gardening.

Digital Innovation

High School Winner: BreastWise from New Dorp High School (Staten Island, NY)
An app facilitating early breast cancer detection through self-examination and AI technology.

High School Finalist: Clean Green App from Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology (Newark, NJ)
An app organizing community clean-up events to address environmental issues.

Middle School Winner: !Recycle Go! from I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer Magnet School of Innovation and Applied Learning (Queens, NY)
An app encouraging recycling through gamification and community engagement.

Middle School Finalist: World Leader RPG from I.S. 27 Anning S. Prall (Staten Island, NY)
A game allowing students to experience historical events and make impactful decisions.

Design Thinking

High School Winner: NYC Connect Us from Thomas A. Edison CTE High School (Queens, NY)
An app to help reunite missing persons with their families through community and police partnerships.

High School Finalist: Plastic Track from High School for Environmental Studies (Manhattan, NY)
An app to track plastic waste, encouraging users to compete in environmental clean-up efforts.

Middle School Winner: TeenTube from I.S. 27 Anning S. Prall (Staten Island, NY)
An app aimed at combating cyberbullying by educating and supporting affected children.

Middle School Finalist: SmartLearn from I.S. 27 Anning S. Prall (Staten Island, NY)
A platform providing students with academic support and connecting parents and tutors.

Thank You and Congratulations!

👏 Congratulations to Design League student teams who presented virtually, in-person at your school’s student presentation days, and in-person at Amazon. We’re so proud to showcase all 215 projects on emoticon.mouse.org.

👏 Thank you to the educators, parents, and families who supported and encouraged student teams through this process. 

👏 Thank you to all professional mentors (including 30 Amazon professionals) who encouraged our students from February through Emoti-Con.

👏Thank you to all 100+ judges for leaving thoughtful, supportive, and constructive reviews for student teams to prepare for their next steps in education and careers.

👏 Thank you to Amazon for opening your home to all students, teachers, professional mentors, and Mouse folks, making it a special and memorable day.

Did you know: You can click on a judge’s name in the project comments or on the Judge page to learn more about their background, their best career advice, and more!

More about Emoti-Con: https://emoticon.mouse.org/about